The author writes that the Bahraini government is guided not by U.S. demands. |
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So far, the Obama administration has not criticized the GCC intervention — only called for restraint. By keeping our demands in check, at least we won’t find ourselves having to back up tough talk with actions we aren’t prepared to take. Should a major bloodbath occur — which is unlikely — a stronger response would be warranted. This should be made clear to both the Bahrainis and the Saudis.

The administration correctly continues to support political reform as the only solution in Bahrain and should work behind the scenes to try to resuscitate the process. Trust will not be easily gained, however. In addition, we should press publicly and privately for the release of political prisoners.

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We also need to reach out to Saudi Arabia. The rupture over Bahrain has been described as the most serious breach between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia in years. Washington shares Saudi Arabia’s interests in Bahrain’s stability — and in keeping Iran in check.

We should build on this common ground, while understanding that stability through force works only in the short run. In the long run, political inclusion is the only path to stability in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Washington may have scant options inside Bahrain today. But steps we take elsewhere to improve U.S. credibility could make our advice more influential next time.

The world is watching events in Libya, where weeks elapsed without a sufficient U.S. response. Let’s hope Operation Odyssey Dawn doesn’t prove too little, too late for the Libyan people.

Just as important will be U.S. support for democratic development elsewhere in the Middle East. This begins with Egypt, where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit and announcement of economic support are welcome. Egypt may be culturally different from the conservative Gulf monarchies, but its leadership role in the Arab world gives Cairo an outsize influence.

We also are well-advised to continue supporting the example provided by Morocco’s transition to a constitutional monarchy.

As waves of protest continue sweeping across the Middle East and Northern Africa, the United States must seek out opportunities to support reform — while understanding the limits of our influence.
Lorianne Woodrow Moss served as a Senate staffer for foreign relations and is now an international affairs scholar at American Action Forum.

Readers' Comments (9)

We need to remember that the protestors in this process are not whiter than white here. There are numerous examples, on You Tube especially, of the medical staff in the hospital protesting while they should be caring, we saw images on television in the UK, by the biased BBC, of a protestor being shot at point blank range by the BDF, however on You Tube this protestor is shown 2 minutes later getting up without any injuries. Propoganda by the protestors! These terrorists brought the economy to its knees, killed and seriously injured Asians, and whether we want to ignore it or not are part of the Shia culture of Bahrain which sees it as an Iranian provence.

The Crown Prince offered reform talks, two weeks later the protestors had not taken up this offer- they wanted all their demands to be met prior to talks- that would not be accepted in any democratic state. The protestors started called for the deaths of the royal family, and on the closure of the financial district the government had to react to ensure that we didn't see the complete loss of the Bahrain economy. An economy with a literacy rate of 91%, free schooling, free healthcare, government grants, no tax, yes open elections with some geremandering which the crown prince has promised to change. Not that bad is it.

Yes regrefully people were killed, but how can the British Government bleet on, do they not remember the murder of their own citizens in Northern Ireland by the security forces, much harsher than what has happened in Bahrain.

Also when did the Pearl Roundabout, Lulu roundabout, become Pearl Square BBC? Why do the protestors on TV who were calling for a new constitution and new parliament when questioned not know what a parliament or constitution was? Friday prayers have allot to be blamed for, and this Iran leaning leaders.

Hopefully the Crown Prince can open this peaceful and happy nation, usually, back to what it was, and instigate the minor reforms required

and we couldn't stop the communists in China from running over peaceful demonstrators for reform with tanks. Saying we have limits on our influence in another country is a statement of the obvious. Turkey is a NATO ally with an elected government and they would not allow US troops to transit Turkey in 2003 to attack Iraq. Their assessment of the situation was different and they acted accordingly. We'ld also like more freedom in Burma but the generals who have run the country for about 50 years don't seem inclined to listen.

The only thing that I would like to see from the US government in relation to Bahrain is support of the Crown Prince and his demand for National Dialogue, and present to the world what's really happening in Bahrain- the murders of innocent Asian expats, the protests that brought the main hospital to a secterian standstill where only Shias were looked after, and the looting and violence of the Iran sympathising protestors. YouTube gives plenty of unbiased videos!

You're joking right? Perhaps most of this article was written before the revelations of yesterday that Hillary Clinton exchanged U.S. agreement to mute its criticism of the Bahrainis (and of the "Peninsula Shield" force) in return for Saudi/GCC support for NATO intervention in Libya, and it was too late for a rewrite.

More generally, the idea that Gates sat with King Hamad days before the Saudis crossed the causeway and was never notified/solicited for tacit approval is a hard one to believe. Indeed, Hillary Clinton sat smiling with the Emirati Foreign Minister in Paris the very day they arrived in Bahrain. In sum, the conclusion that "Washington just didn’t have enough influence to point the situation in Bahrain in the direction of restraint and reform" is a very idealistic view of U.S. policy in the region.

The reasons the Bahrainis are no longer interested in political dialogue is not that the U.S. failed to convince them otherwise but that the U.S. signaled its implicit support for this path. Not to mention the fact that the person originally charged with supervising the National Dialogue Initiative, Crown Prince Salman, has lost utterly all influence within the ruling family over the previous weeks. It is not even clear that the king himself is any longer in charge.

For really interested in knowing what's going on in Bahrain, see here:

Unless you are in Bahrain then you do not know. It is well known in the Kingdom that the Americans knew very well that there would be GCC involvement- Saudi are just the biggest and closest state- when they were there a few days before. And they needed to go to Bahrain. The protestors had two weeks to talk to the Crown Prince, and refused to, and the hardliners within the Government then took action as the protestors were escalating violence. The BBC world news, one positive thing, had a show two weeks ago where a Shia leader admitted that on his blog he demanded an escalation of protests and escalation of violence.

Lets get it right here, the GCC had to react to the violence by these protestors- and hopefully with peace the Crown Prince can retake control and allow for reforms.